Latching device



March 20, l17945. B. KNAUER l LATCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10. 1943 i E; ATTORNEY March 2o, 1945. B. KNAUER y 2,371,396

LATCHING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1o, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 2 @www ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1945A UNITED s-'m'rras PATENT ortica Berthold Knauer, East Norwalki(lonn.,4 assignor v to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Go., Stamford.,v Conn., a corporation of Delaware applicati@ August. 1o, uns.,A serai No. 498,047

o onine. (c1. 24a-2.5)

This invention relates to a device .for securing a detachable meter unit to a machine base of a metered mailing machine.

l In metered mailing machines, a meter unit is adapted to be mounted on a powered machine hase and, through ak manually controlled locking member; is adapted to be locked in an operative positionor is adapted to be released to a nonoperative position.

. In the device herein described, an improved arrangement is provided for locking the meter unit to the base, wherein the manually controlled member is adapted to be placed in a locking position by applying manual pressure to a knob end thereof and is arranged in an unlocking position by effecting rotation of the knob, Each of said knob movements will control the movement of a latch. to a locking or unlocking position respectively.

It is one object of the invention therefore, to provide an improved arrangement lfor locking a detachable unit to a machine base by a manually controlled member, whereby pressure on the manual member will effect looking, and rotation of the manual member will control unlocking of the detachable unit.

- Itr is another object to provide an improved arrangement for locking a detachablev unit to a base by first positioning the detachable unit on vertically disposed locating pins to prevent horizontal displacement and by latching the detachable unit against vertical displacement.

It is another object to provide a plunger controlled latching mechanism having spring means associated therewith, whereby upon effecting withdrawal of the plunger from a latch engaging position, initial rotation of the plunger will eiect a. spring charging action, which charged spring will permit a subsequent latching operation to .be effected by merely depressing the plunger. Y

With the above and other objects in view, which A rwill appear as the description proceeds, theuinvention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention. A

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a meter unit mounted to a portion of Fig. 4, showing the various parts in a position agreeing with the unlatched arrangement of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the meter unit is indicated generally at Ill, which unit contains av printing head H and register mechanism indicated at l2, whereby printing may be effected in the printing of' a predetermined value postage stamp upon mail matter, and the values thereof may he registered in a. register l2, Said meter unit may `he attached to or detached from a power driven machine base i3.

The meter unit I is adapted to be properly positioned upon the base by meter locating pins lli- 14, which pins project vertically upward from the upper surface of the machine base I3. Sock-- ets. t5--|'5, which are located within the lower surface of the meter' unit l0, are adapted to fit over the pins MTM When the meter unit is positioned on the machine base. When in said latter position, the .meter unit is fixed against horizontal displacement.

Within the base, a hooked latch lever I6 is pivotally mounted at I1 upon a supporting bar t8, which bar is also vpivotally mounted on a rixed bearing 211. By means of a spring i9, said latch lever I6 is adapted to. be normally urged to a latch release position relative to a latch bar 2l', fixed within thev meter l0. l

Tov control the position of the latch lever I5, a manually controlled member is provided as generally indicated at 22, whichcomprises a plunger 23, slidablyy positioned within a bearing 24 in a wall 'of the hase I3, and a bearing 25 in a bracket 26 carried by said base I3. A sleeve 21 mounted on said plunger 23 has a semi-circular cam portion 28, terminating in shoulders 29 and 3|. An end slot 32 is provided within the sleeve 21, `which 'slot is engaged by a pin 33 projecting froml the plunger 23. Said sleeve 21 is adapted to receive rotative movement when the plunger is rotated, and the plunger will be permitted to move axially as a result of the pin and slot connection. v

with slot 35 in collar 34, is a pin 38, projecting.

from the bracket 26.

In operation, let it be assumed that the meter unit I has been positioned upon the machine base, with the parts in the position as shown in,

Fig. 3, the latch lever I 6 being in a released position. To place the latch lever I6 in a latching position, a knob 39 is depressed to eiect engagement Where it is subsequently urged to a withdrawn position by the spring controlled means to effect latch morement to a non-latching position.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a detachable unit and a supporting base therefor, of means to normally pre-l vent horizontai displacement of the detachable unit relative to the base, and manually controlled latch means associated with the base to prevent vertical displacement of the detachable unit com- -v prising, a latchlever within the base movable to of the end of the plunger 23 with the latch lever4 I6 to thereby force said latch lever to a locking position relative to the latch bar 2|, as indicated in Fig. 2. The collar 34, which is pinned to the plunger 23, will move with the plunger to a position-beyond the end of the stop pin 38, and owing to a previous winding of said spring 36 during rotation of the knob 39, in a manner to' be latter described, the face of the collar 34 will be moved by the spring into engagement with the pin 38 and thus retain the plunger in its latching position. Also, the sleeve 21 will have been rotated to cause cam 28 to rock the latch supporting lever I8 about its pivot and thereby draw the latch lever I6 downwardly tight against the upper surface of the latch bar 2 I. When in this position, the meter unit Ill is locked against both vertical and horizontal displacement, upon the machine base I3.

When releasing the latch lever I6 from a latching position, the knob 39 is initially rotated in a counterclockwise direction until the shoulder 3| of the cam 28 engages the stop pin 31, which engagement will control the position of the collar 34 such that the slot 35 is opposite the stop pin 38. VEndwise pressure of thev spring 36 will then cause the collar 34 to move sidewardly, thus effecting engagement of the pin 38 with the slot 35, as in Fig. 5. Also, during rotation of the knob 39, the spring 36 is wound tighter to provide the force which, as previously described, will be used in the next subsequent latching operating to eiect rotation of the sleeve 21 and collar 34. The plunger 23 now having been withdrawn to the positionpf Fig. 3, the spring I9 will have rocked the latch lever` I6 about its pivot I1 to a released position.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

l. In a device of the character described for eiiecting lthe locking of a detachable unit 'to a base, means whereby the detachable unit is fixed against horizontal displacement on the base when placed thereon, a latch member associated with the base and adapted to be manipulated from a position outside the base to lock said detachable unit against vertical movement on the base, latch control means comprising a manually controlled plunger having one end projecting beyond the base and the other end aligned' with'and adapted to engage the latch-member to move samerv to a latching position vrelative to the detachable unit, said plunger having longitudinal and rotative movement, whereby, upon effecting manual pressure against the projecting end thereof, the plunger moves inward against the latch member to effect latching, and spring controlled means associated with said plunger, whereby upon initiating rotation of the plunger, it is adjusted to a position or from a latching positionrelative to the detachable unit, a settable plunger having one end aligned with said latch lever, said plunger havan inward axial motion to eiect engagement with and movement of the latch lever to a latching position, and rotational motion to initiate control for eiecting movement of the latch lever to a released position, and spring means associated with said plunger adapted to effect pressure to move the plunger to either a latching or a released position 3. In a device of the character described for ueiecting the locking of a detachable unit to a base, means whereby the detachable unit is xed against horizontal displacement on the base when placed thereon, a latch member supported within the base and adapted to engage a portion of the detachable unit and lock same against vertical displacement on the base, latch control means comprising a manually controlled plunger rod having one end aligned and engageable with the latch member to move same to a latching position with relation to the detachable unit when manual pressure is applied to the opposite end thereof, a spring coiled around the plunger rod and having one end xed relative to the rod and the other end xed relative to the base, and means whereby said spring is adapted to cooperate with the plunger to retain said plunger in either a latching or a non-latching position.

4. In a latch mechanism, a latch lever, a plunger rod'having one end aligned with said latch lever and movable endwise in one direction to f effect movement of the latch lever to a latching position and in an opposite vdirection to permit movement of the latch lever to a non-latching position, spring controlled means associated with said plunger to effect control in retaining the plunger in either of the two named positions, said spring controlled means including a spring coiled around said plunger and having one fixed end, a collar xed to said plunger and having the other end of the spring anchored thereto, and a stop pin associated with the base adapted to engage an opening in said collar when the plunger is withdrawn from engagement with the latch lever, and adapted to engage one face of the collar to obstruct withdrawal of the plunger after the plunger has been moved toL a latch engaging position,

5. In combination with a base and detachable unit a latch lever mounted in thel base, a plunger rod aligned withv said latch lever and manually movable to engage'and control movement of the latchlever to a latching or a non-latching posi# tion relative to the detachable unit,plunger con'- trol means includinga springA coiled 'around said plunger and having one end fixed relative tothe base, a collar having an opening therein and xed to said plunger and having the other end ofthe spring anchored thereto, a stop pin xed relative to said base and adapted to engage the opening in said collar when the plunger is withdrawnrto' a non-latching position relative to the latch lever,

means to manually grip and rotatethe plunger and thereby align the collar opening with the stop pin when withdrawal of the plunger is to be eiected, said rotation being adapted to eiect the winding of the spring, whereby, when the collar is moved free of the stop pin as the plunger is moved to a latching position relative to the latch lever, the collar will be rotated by the prewound spring to an obstructing position relative to the stop pin and thereby retain the plunger in a latch lever engaging and latching position.

6. In combination with a base and detachable unit, a latch member supported in the base and adapted to be moved to a latching position rela- 'tive to the detachable unit, latch control means including a plunger having longitudinal movement when effecting latching, and rotational movement when initiating latch release, a collar iixed to said plunger having a slot therein, a stop pin iixed relative to the base and adapted to either engage said slot or one face of the collar, and a spring coiled around said plunger and having one fixed end and the otherend anchored to said collar, whereby, after the plunger has been moved to a latch engaging position and is rotated to effect latch release the slot in the collar will become aligned With the stop pin` and 'move to a locking position relative to the pin under pressure of the spring, thereby retaining the spring in a charged condition, such that when the plunger is moved inward to a point where the collar is free of the pin, the collar will be rotated by the chargedl spring to effect contact between the pin and the face of the collar and thereby retain the plunger in an advancedor latching position.

7. In combination with a base and detachable unit, a latch member supported in the hase and adapted to be moved to a latching position relative to the detachable unit, a pivotal support for said latch member, latch control means including a plunger having longitudinal movement wherein one end thereof is adapted to engage the latch member when effecting latching, and having rotational movement when initiating latch release, a collar on said'plunger having a slot therein, a stop pin fixed relative to said base adapted to either engage said slot or oneface of the collar, a spring coiled around said plunger and having one fixed end and the other end anchored in said collar, whereby, when the plungeris in a'latch engaging position the plunger and'collar may be engage .the latch member support when the plunger is rotated by said spring, thereby effecting the rocking of the support about its pivot to provide clamping engagement ofi` the latch member with the detachable member.

8. In a device for latching a movable member to a stationary member, a pivotal latch lever having a hooked end which is adapted to be moved into latching engagement vwlth a portion of the movable member, means to urge the latch `lever to a non-latching position, a plunger rod supported by the stationary member and having one end aligned with the latch lever, whereby, when the plunger is depressed the latch lever will be rotated until the slot becomes aligned with the i.

urged thereby to a latching position, a collar having a slot therein and xed to said plunger rod, a sleeve arranged to rotate with said rod but permit longitudinal movement of the rod therethrough, a springcoiled around said rod between ,the collar and sleeve and having one end xed Arelative to the stationary member and one end xed relative to the rod, and a stop pin associated with said collar and adapted to bear against one face thereof when the rod is depressed to a latch engaging position and to engage theslot when the rod is retracted from a latch engaging position, said slot being normally rocked out of alignment with said pin by tortional tension effect of the spring on the collar when the rod is depressed and being moved into alignment when the plunger rod is manually rotated for the release of the latch lever,

9. In a device for latching a movable member to a stationary member, a pivotal latch lever having a hooked end which is adapted to be `moved into latching engagement with a portion of the movable member, means to 'urge the latch lever to a non-latching position, a plunger rod supported by the stationary member and having one end aligned with the latch lever, whereby, when the plunger is depressed the latch lever will be urged thereby to a latching position, a collar having a slot therein and Xed to said plunger rod, a sleeve arranged to rotate with said rod but permit longitudinal movement of the rod therethrough, a spring coiled around said rod between the collar and sleeve and having one end xed relative to the stationary member and one end xed relative to the rod, a stop pin associated with said collar and adapted to bear against one facethereof when the rod .is depressed to a latch engaging position and to engage thel slot when the rod is retracted from a latch engaging position, said slot being normally rocked out of alignment with said pin .by tortional 'tension effect of the spring on'the collar when the rod is depressed and being moved into alignment when the plungand one face of thecollar and thereby retain f lthe plunger in an advanced or latching position,

and a cam carried by the plunger movable lto er rod is manually rotated for the release of the latch lever, and stop members associated with the sleeve to limit the rotary motion of the plunger rod.

BERTI-101D KNAUER. 

